The National Industrial Court has ordered the immediate reinstatement of a lecturer at the Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi, (formerly Bauchi State University) who was sacked for alleged misconduct.
Justice Mustapha Tijjani of the Bauchi Division of the court, on Tuesday, nullified the termination of the appointment of the lecturer, Abubakar Mohammed and ordered the university and its Governing Council to immediately reinstate him with his full rights and entitlements.
The court held that the university authorities violated the University Law and the 1999 Constitution, as amended, over failure to comply with statutory disciplinary procedures and Mohammed’s right to fair hearing.
According to available court documents, Mohammed submitted that he was appointed as an Assistant Lecturer and was subjected to disciplinary proceedings following allegations of misconduct.
He argued that he was denied the opportunity to appear before the Governing Council or a properly constituted joint committee to defend himself as required by the university’s enabling law and conditions of service.
In its defence, the university maintained that Mr Mohammad was given several opportunities to respond to the allegations before the Investigation Committee and Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee.
It also argued that Mohammad failed to exhaust the internal appeal mechanism provided under the university’s conditions of service before approaching the court, and urged the court to dismiss the case in its entirety.
Delivering judgment, Justice Tijanni distinguished between compliance with the university’s internal disciplinary procedures and compliance with its enabling law.
The judge held that although Mohammed appeared before the Investigation and Senior Staff Disciplinary Committees, none of those committees constituted the joint committee of the Governing Council and Senate as stipulated by the university’s enabling law.
Justice Tijjani therefore found that the university failed to comply with the statutory procedure for terminating Mohammed’s appointment and that the failure amounted to a denial of fair hearing.
Consequently, the judge upheld Mohammed’s case and declared his termination wrongful, unlawful, unconstitutional, null and void and of no effect.
Apart from the order for reinstatement, Justice Tijanni further ordered the university authorities to pay his salaries, allowances and other emoluments from the date of termination, February 2026, until the judgment is executed.
